Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It

Synopsis

Weaving Together Cutting-edge Social Science With Riveting Stories That Take Us From The Frontlines Of The Volkswagen Scandal To Backstage At The Oscars, And From Deep Beneath The Gulf Of Mexico To The Top Of Mount Everest, Chris Clearfield And András Tilcsik Explain How The Increasing Complexity Of Our Systems Creates Conditions Ripe For Failure And Why Our Brains And Teams Can't Keep Up. They Highlight The Paradox Of Progress: Though Modern Systems Have Given Us New Capabilities, They've Become Vulnerable To Surprising Meltdowns--and Even To Corruption And Misconduct. But Meltdown Isn't Just About Failure; It's About Solutions--whether You're Managing A Team Or The Chaos Of Your Family's Morning Routine. It Reveals Why Ugly Designs Make Us Safer, How A Five-minute Exercise Can Prevent Billion-dollar Catastrophes, Why Teams With Fewer Experts Are Better At Managing Risk, And Why Diversity Is One Of Our Best Safeguards Against Failure. The Result Is An Eye-opening, Empowering, And Entirely Original Book--one That Will Change The Way You See Our Complex World And Your Own Place In It.--jacket Flap. Prologue: A Day Like Any Other -- Part One. Failure All Around Us. The Danger Zone ; Deep Waters, New Horizons ; Hacking, Fraud, And All The News That's Unfit To Print -- Part Two. Conquering Complexity. Out Of The Danger Zone ; Complex Systems, Simple Tools ; Reading The Writing On The Wall ; The Anatomy Of Dissent ; The Speed Bump Effect ; Strangers In A Strange Land ; Surprise! -- Epilogue. The Golden Age Of Meltdowns. Chris Clearfield And András Tilcsik. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 251-286) And Index.